St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 36; This Generation.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Their persecution of religion) Part 14.  

And the kingdom of heaven came upon them and they were not ready.  The opportunity for repentance came before them and they did not repent.  The day of judgment was there in their presences and they dismissed it as another hoax.  They were blind and could not see, deaf and could not hear, dumb and could not understand the changing of events taking place around them.

Farmers could read the change in the weather.  Politicians could read the change in the moods of the people.  Priest can understand the spiritual needs of their parishioners.  But the Scribes and the Pharisees were so engrained in their beliefs that they could not see the light of Christ that stood before them despite all the signs that were shown.  And Christ told them: Amen, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation."

Theirs was the endpoint of their time.  Christ had come to offer redemption.  They had rejected redemption and instead choose to fight it.  So the time had come to close the books, to end the persecution, to write the names of all those who were persecuted and all the names of those who persecuted the just.  Judgment day had come and their names were written in the judgment book along with all the others who had persecuted the just.

Thank you Father for the opportunity for redemption.  Thank you for the mercy you have shown us in giving me the chance to repent of my sins.  For I know not when or how or where I may be called upon to surrender my life and come before you for judgment.  But that the life I have lived at least I have had the opportunity to change my ways and repent of my sins.  I pray that if I may die tomorrow that you will have mercy upon my soul and not condemn me to hell.

My desire is to be with my savior Lord Jesus Christ in his kingdom that I may be fulfilled by his presence.  For he is my be all and end all.  There is nothing on this earth that can fill me more than his presence.  Thank you Father each day for the love and the protection that you give me and my family.  May we continue to walk the path that leads us to your kingdom. 

 Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.

St. Matthew, Chapter 22, verses: 36; The Great Commandment.

Our paragraph topic is:  (The great commandment) Part 3.

Time and time again they came to question his knowledge of the Law.  They could not believe that he had a complete grasp of the Law.  They did not know him.  Their colleagues did not know him.  No one had studied with him.  So how was it that he knew the Law?  How is it that he knew the Torah, the ins and outs, the intricacies of what had taken others years of study to comprehend.  They had to test him.  They had to prove him a fake, a charlatan.

Yet he came to teach the people in simple ways the love of God.  He came to walk and talk to them.  He came to show compassion and mercy to those who were in pain and sorrow.  He came to give relief to the lost and to open the minds and hearts of all who would hear him and believe in his message that the kingdom of heaven was at hand.   But they questioned him saying: "Master, which is the great commandment in the Law? "

What is the great commandment in the Law?  Is it thou shalt not steal?  Is it thou shalt not kill?  Is it thou shalt not covet thy neighbors wife?  Or is it thou shalt love the Lord with all thy heart and all thy mind and all thy soul?  There shall be no other greater love before you.  Is this true today?  Do we love the Lord more than we love anything else?

To love something we have to know something about that which we love.  Do we know the Lord enough that we can love him?  Or do we love something else more because we know more about that thing which we love?  We love money.  We love what money can buy.  We love what money can bring.  We love what money can do for us.  We love all the things that having lots of money will bring us.  We lust for money.  We dream for money.  Our eyes glaze over when we think of winning millions of money in a lottery.  Yet do we think of winning love of God the same way?

We see with our eyes not.  We hear with our ears not.  We know with our mind not.  We are our hearts.  The heart knows the emptiness.  The heart knows true love.  The heart knows what it needs to fulfill its desires.  Do not be fooled by what you see and hear in the world.  The world is dying.  God is life and through his love we are renewed.  Christ Jesus came to renew life to those who would receive his message.  Now is the time.  Now is the place.  Now is the reason to open your heart and know the truth of who you are in his love.  The heart knows.

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.   

St. Matthew, Chapter 21, verses: 36; The Vine-dressers II.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Parable of the vine-dressers) Part 3. 

The vine-dressers were drunk.  They were giddy with the wine from the fruit of the vineyard.  And it had been years since they had heard from the householder so they considered him dead.  They had convinced themselves that they were the owners and they were not going to let anyone come and claim their prize, even if it was the owner himself.  They believed so much in what they had worked for in the fields of the householder that they would give up their lives to keep it.

The vine-dressers believed that if they defended their rights to the vineyard then no one else would come and lay claim to their prize.  So convinced that they were the owners of the vineyard that they believed the rightful owner would not send anyone else to take possession.  "Again he sent another party of servants more numerous than the first; and they did the same to these." 

What do we want from life?  Are our desires so strong that they would lead us to do anything to satisfy them?  The vine-dressers had a taste of stewardship of the vineyard and that taste led them to want more.  The crop was good.  The grapes were pressed and set to be cured into wine.  And when the wine was aged, it was a great product that everyone liked.  It was the best.  It was perfect.  It had taste and balance.  It had all the right qualities of a great wine and the labor of the vine-dressers made it so.

They were ecstatic.  They were happy and elated.  But they were not the owners of this great wine.  It did not belong to them.  But like so many, they were influenced to believe that they had come upon something that all mankind would want and they were not going to give it up.  Oh, what a man would not do to discover his own gold mine.  He would fight, kill, steal, die, protect it from all who would seek to take it from him.  And many would do so.

We are such weak creatures, easily influenced by the dirt that we walk upon.  Call it gold, call it money, call it whatever we desire, it still comes down to the same, influence.  What we would not do for influence over others.  We are given all the precious stones and jewels of many worlds but we happily give it up for dirt because someone or something tells us that we can become more than we are.  We are already rich.  We are already powerful.  We are loved.  We are blessed with the light of life given us by Christ Jesus.  He died to give us that life.  He loved so that we who believe in him would not die in darkness.  He knew that all was not lost and that there could be redemption.  

God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son to save it.  For it had fallen into darkness and the people who inhabited it were dead.  And Christ came as the life and light of the world that we may know the truth of who we are.  He ascended into heaven and left the living word for those who would follow.  The Holy Spirit will come.  He will live among us.  He will guide us, protect us, show us the way to the narrow path.  Let us not be robbers.  Let us not be murderers.  Let us not become all that the influencer of the world would have us become.  We would loose the life that is freely given us.  For the Lord and Savior awaits those who know.  The Lord and Savior awaits those who believe.  The Lord and Savior of the world awaits you.  Open your heart and let him in.  

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.